The Wanderlust

Bhandardara

2010-09-10T04:17:00.000-07:00

Place: Bhandardara
Route from Pune: Pune> Chakan > Rajgurunagar > Manchar > Narayangaon > Bote > Brahmanwada > Bhandardara
Distance from Pune: 175 kms (Approx)
Places to eat: Hotels on highway till Bote, MTDC resort
Places to stay: MTDC resort
Best time to Visit: July - October

Experience: Bhandardara is awesome. Full of natural beauty. Not many options to stay/eat. MTDC resort is disappointing.

Sangameshwar (Tulapur)

2010-01-27T04:17:00.000-08:00

Place: Sangameshwar (Tulapur)
Route from Pune: Pune > Alandi > Markal > Sangameshwar (Tulapur)
Distance from Pune: 28 Kms (Approx.)
Places to eat: Various places enroute, A small hotel at sangameshwar.
Places to stay: -
Best time to Visit: Anytime
Experience: Sangameshwar is the place where three rivers Bhima, Bhama and Indrayani meet and hence the name. Boating facility is also available.

Besides the famous Sangameshwar temple, the place is also known for Samadhi's of Sambhaji maharaj and Kavi Kalash.
I had not expected such a clean and peaceful environment but it was surprisingly very pleasant. Worth one more visit…..

Chokhi Dhani Village

2009-12-28T01:24:00.000-08:00

Place: Chokhi Dhani village
Route from Pune: Pune- Nagar highway @ Wagholi
Distance from Pune: Shivaji Nagar to Chokhi Dhani - 15 kms (Approx)
Places to eat: Chokhi Dhani
Places to stay: -
Best time to Visit: Anytime (except monsoon)
Experience: ‘Chokhi Dhani’ is rajasthani translation of a ‘Fine Hamlet’. It offers an insight into Rajasthani village culture including the traditional dances, music, handicraft and food. The first ‘Chokhi Dhani’ was started in Jaipur in 1989 and since then has opened up other branches at Delhi, Mumbai and Pune.

Map of Chokhi Dhani

Chokhi dhani in Pune is a little smaller in size than the one in Jaipur but provides almost equivalent entertainment. The place is open from 5 pm – 11 pm. Coporate discounts are offered on the entry fee (INR 350/-) for some select few companies. Do not forget to your company ID to avail the same.

A very nice Rajasthani experience……….

Parshuram Temple & Dervan

2009-12-21T03:37:00.000-08:00

Place: Parshuram Temple & Dervan
Route from Pune: Pune to Bharne Naka (refer previous blog entry- Karde beach) Bharne naka > Khed > Parshuram temple > Chiplun > Dervan
Distance from Pune: Bharne Naka – Parshuram Temple 25 kms (Approx.)

Bharne Naka – Dervan 65 kms (Approx.)
Places to eat: Various places enroute
Places to stay: -
Best time to Visit: Anytime
Experience: Lord Parshuram is considered to be one of the many Vishnu avatars and one of the seven immortals mentioned in Hindu myhtology. He is said to be the creator of Konkan. The Parshuram temple is situated on a hill between Khed and Chiplun.

Parshuram Temple

The main attraction at Dervan is Shri Samarth gad, which is an artificial fort depicting important incidences in shivaji Maharaj’s life in form of sculptures.

Velneshwar Beach

2009-12-21T03:24:00.000-08:00

Place: Velneshwar Beach
Route from Pune: Pune to Bharne Naka (refer previous blog entry- Karde beach) Bharne naka > Chiplun > Velneshwar
Alternate route 1: Bharne naka > Dapoli > Dabhol (Ferry) > Guhagar > Velneshwar (My favourite)
Distance from Pune: Bharne Naka – Velneshwar 85 kms (Approx.)
Alternate route 1: Bharne naka – Velneshwar via Dabhol ferry 90 kms (Approx)
Places to eat: Various places in Dapoli, Guhagar & Velneshwar
Places to stay: Home stays
Best time to Visit: October – February
Experience: Alternate route suggested above is my favourite. Chandika Devi temple few kilometers before Dabhol, the power plant at Dabhol and above all the Ferry ride from Dabhol to Guhagar are the main attraction of this route. The chandika devi temple is situated in an underground cave and it is said that Shivaji maharaj was among the frequent visitors to the temple. The ferry ride, though short, is fun and you can take your vehicle on the ferry as well.

Ferry

Fishing boats

Velneshwar is famous for its Shiva (Velneshwar) temple and a small beach. The famous Ganpati temple at Hedvi (15 kms) can also be visited. The place does not have big hotels but comfortable homestays are available. Velneshwar is a very typical Konkani village and has not yet adjusted to tourism needs. The place becomes a little spooky after 8 pm and you hardly see any people around.

Velneshwar Temple

Velneshwar beach

Ganpati Temple - Hedvi

In all, it is fun………….

Karde Beach

2009-12-21T02:43:00.000-08:00

Place: Karde Beach
Route from Pune: Pune > Velu > Khed shivapur > Bhor > Varandha > Poladpur > Bharne naka > Dapoli > Karde
Alternate route 1: Pune > Pirangut > Paud > Tamhini > Mangaon > Mahad > Varandha > Poladpur > Bharne naka > Dapoli > Karde
Alternate route 2: Pune > Velu > Khed shivapur > shirwal > Wai > Pachgani > Mahabaleshwar > Poladpur > Bharne naka > Dapoli > Karde
Distance from Pune: 180 Kms (Approx) ; Alternate route 1 : 230 Kms (Approx.) ; Alternate route 2 : 245 Kms (Approx.)
Places to eat: Various places enroute. Hotel Kinara and Sagar Savli offer good sea food.
Places to stay: Beach resorts- Whistling Palms, Sagar Savli, kinara etc
Best time to Visit: October – February
Experience: Pristine, clean beach & excellent Konkani food . No doubt that Karde beach is so famous among tourists. Though the place is not very close to Pune/Mumbai, it offers everything required for a peaceful and rejuvenating holiday. Dolphins spotting ride @ INR 100/- per head is another major tourist attraction.

Karde Beach

Boat Ride: Search for Dolphins

Private vehicle is a must. Frequency of Public transport is less. If you have time, visit to nearby Suvarnadurg fort (10 kms) , Ganpati temple at Anjarle (20 Kms) and Keshavraj temple (12 Kms) could provide fascinating insight into the country side & Konkani life style.

Suvarna Durg

View from Ganpati temple (Anjarle)

Raigad

2009-11-07T02:38:00.000-08:00

Place: Raigad fort
Route from Pune: Pune > Velu > Khed shivapur > Bhor > Varandha > Mahad > ladavli > Pachad > Raigad
Alternate route: Pune > Pirangut > Paud > Tamhini > Mangaon > Mahad > ladavli > Pachad > Raigad
Distance from Pune: 150 Kms (Approx) Alternate route : 180 Kms (Approx.)
Places to eat: Various places enroute
Places to stay: MTDC resort on the fort. Hotel Visava near Mahad..
Best time to Visit: Anytime except summer. Monsoon is best.

Experience: We took the route via Bhor. Personally, I like this route very much. We had planned a one day trip and after spending most of the time enjoying the views of Varandha ghat, we realized that we would not get much time at Raigad. It is my favourite among all the forts in Maharshtra therefore i insisted for a short visit & it was worth it......

Niradevghar Dam

Waterfall in the ghats (just before Waghzai)

Waghzai Temple in Varandha ghat

Chattrapati Shivaji

Raigad Fort - Market place of old times

Raigad Fort - Shivaji Maharaj's Samadhi

Bhimashankar

2009-10-31T22:45:00.000-07:00

Place: Bhimashankar
Route from Pune: Pune > Chakan> Rajgurunagar > Manchar > Bhimashankar
Distance from Pune: 160 Kms (Approx)
Places to eat: Various places on the highway.
Places to stay: -
Best time to Visit: Anytime except summer.
Experience: Despite being one among the 12 jyotirlingas, the place is not well maintained. Disappointing......

Kolhapur

2009-04-17T08:06:00.000-07:00

Place: Kolhapur
Route from Pune: Pune > Shirwal > Satara > Karad > Kolhapur
Distance from Pune: 240 Kms (Approx)
Places to eat: Various places on the highway and in kolhapur.
Places to stay: Many. Hotel Shalini Palace in Kolhapur is good heritage hotel.
Best time to Visit: Anytime

Experience: Kolhapur is an ancient city and has an important place in history. It is famous for the Mahalaxmi temple built in seventh century AD. Millions of people visit this place every year from all over India for Mahalaxmi darshan. Besides the Mahalaxmi temple, Kolhapur offers other site seeing options like the Rankala lake and New Palace. People also visit the nearby holy places like Jyotiba, Narsobachi wadi and Ramteerth.

Panhala (fort), Amboli (Hill station) and Ganpatipule (Beach) are very close to Kolhapur. Accommodation and food is not so expensive in Kolhapur.
Worth a visit….

Panshet & Varasgaon

2009-02-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

Place: Panshet & Varasgaon
Route from Pune: Pune > Khadakvasla > Donje > Khanapur > Panshet > Varasgaon
Distance from Pune: 45 Kms (Approx)
Places to eat: Hotel at Panshet
Places to stay: -
Best time to Visit: Anytime
Experience: Panshet and Varasgaon are two dams very close to each other. Panshet is famous for its boating club and trekking/cycling competitions in the nearby region. There is one restaurant near to the dam that provides good food at reasonable rates along with a splendid view of the lake.

Boating at Panshet

Panshet

Varasgaon

Parshwa Pragyalay

2008-11-06T04:01:00.000-08:00

Place: Parshwa Pragyalay
Route from Pune: Pune > Dehu road > Parshva Pragyalay
Distance from Pune: 27 kms (Approx).
Places to eat: various places on old Pune – Mumbai Highway
Places to stay: -
Best time to Visit: Anytime
Experience: Parshwa Pragyalay is a Jain temple situated on a Hill slope near Talegaon on the old Pune-Mumbai highway. It offers a fantastic view of Talegaon and surrounding area. The temple is still under construction but the pillers that are already in place have beautiful sculptures carved on them. The idols in the temple are also very beautiful. The environment is very peaceful.

Prati Shirdi

2008-11-06T03:53:00.000-08:00

Place: Prati shirdi
Route from Pune: Pune > Dehu road > Shirgaon > Prati shirdi
Distance from Pune: 25 Kms (Approx)
Places to eat: Various places on old Pune – Mumbai Highway
Places to stay: -
Best time to Visit: Anytime
Experience: The temple is exact replica of Shirdi. It also has the replica of Dwarkamai along with the ever burning flame. Nice place to visit.

Rohida (Vichitragad)

2008-10-08T01:27:00.000-07:00

Place: Rohida Fort
Route from Pune: Pune > Katraj > kapurhol > Bhor > Bajarwadi > Rohida.
Distance from Pune: 65 kms (Approx).
Places to eat: Plenty of places between Pune- Bhor.
Places to stay: Hotels at Bhor
Best time to Visit: Monsoon.
Experience: Rohida (Vichitragad) is at a distance of 5 kms from Bhor. We started early in the morning and reached Rohida base at around 9:00 am. Had a break in between for a misal pav at khed shivapur. Also spent some time at Bhatghar dam. It is the longest dam that I have seen in my life.

At the very first glance of Rohida, we knew that the trek is going to be difficult. There is not even a single tree on the entire Hill. The sun was killing us by the time we reached near the fort. Vaishali was very tired and so we had to quit before we could reach the fort. Sushil continued. He then told us that the view from the top is very good though there is not much to see on the fort except one temple which is also in a bad shape.

Rohida

Sinhgad (Kondhana)

2008-10-08T01:14:00.002-07:00

Place: Sinhgad fort
Route from Pune: Pune > Khadakvasla > Donje > Sinhgad
Distance from Pune: 30 kms (Approx)
Places to eat: Lot of hotels on the fort that offer Maharashtrian food (especially Pitla Bhakri).
Places to stay: Lot of options available in and around Donje village.
Best time to Visit: Anytime
Experience: Always pleasant and rejuvenating.

Tikona Fort

2008-10-08T01:14:00.001-07:00

Place: Tikona Fort
Route from Pune: Pune > Chandni chowk > Paud > Hotle > Tikona
Distance from Pune: 35 Kms (Approx)
Places to eat: Hotels between Pune - Paud. No Food or water on the fort.
Places to stay: Nil
Best time to Visit: Anytime except summer.
Experience: One can go to Tikona either from the Khandoba temple at the base or from Tikona maval. The later route is preffered by many because it takes you very close to the fort and is suitable for vehicles as well. We took the route from the temple. The path is long but very scenic. Finding the way to the fort is a little difficult. We took some help from locals.

Tikona

Tikona is in ruins but has some good spots at the top. It offers a splendid view of the Tung fort. Some parts of the fort are very steep, so extreme care is required. Few Sadhu's live in a temple on the fort. There is a Gurudwara near the fort which can also be visited.

View of Tung from Tikona

Baneshwar

2008-10-08T00:23:00.000-07:00

Place: Baneshwar
Route from Pune: Pune > Katraj > khed shivapur > Nasrapur > Baneshwar.

Alternate route: Pune > khadakwasla> Donje phata > khalapur >Baneshwar.
Distance from Pune: 35 Kms (Approx), Khadakvasla route: 60 kms (Approx)
Places to eat: Small hotels at Baneshwar. Lot of places enroute if you take forst route (Pune - Satara highway)
Places to stay: Nil
Best time to Visit: Monsoon.
Experience: First route (Pune – Satara Highway) is the easiest way to reach Baneshwar but the alternate route is much more scenic. The lush green rice fields and the water flowing through them make the place very beautiful. After around 45 kms from Pune comes a point where you can take a right to Rajgad & Torna or a left to Baneshwar.

The place has an old shiva temple. The place is also well known for the garden and waterfall in the temple vicinity. Though not a very clean place, people come to this place mainly due to its proximity to Pune. The stones near the waterfall are slippery and one should be extremely careful.

Pavana Dam

2008-06-09T03:42:00.000-07:00

Place: Pavana Dam
Route from Pune: Pune > Pirangut > Paud > Kolvan > Hotle > Pavana dam. Alternate route : Pune > Nigdi > Kamshet > Bedsa >Pavana nagar > Pavana Dam
Distance from Pune: 45 kms (Approx). 65 kms (Approx) by kamshet route.
Places to eat: No place to eat between Paud – Kamshet.
Places to stay: Girivan at Hotle village.
Best time to Visit: Monsoon.

Experience: Pavana dam is is not too famous among tourists. Nice place to just sit for some time and enjoy the view along with the breeze. The route to pavana via Paud is very beautiful, especially in monsoon. Tikona fort is close to the road, while Tung can be seen on the other side of the Pavana backwaters. Backwaters of Pavana provide a wonderful view. There are no places after paud where one can have some food so carrying food and water is necessary.

Pavana Dam

Tikona Fort

Bedsa caves

2008-06-09T03:34:00.000-07:00

Place: Bedsa caves
Route from Pune: Pune > Nigdi > Kamshet > Bedsa. Alternate route: Pune > Pirangut > Paud > Kolvan > Hotle > Pavana nagar >Bedsa
Distance from Pune: 50 kms (Approx). 65 kms (Approx) via Paud route.
Places to eat: Lot of hotels on the way till kamshet. Rajdhani at the HP petrol pump just before kamshet is an excellent place to eat.
Places to stay: MTDC resort, karla.
Best time to Visit: Monsoon.

Experience: After a relaxing day at karla MTDC resort, we started towards pune via the pavana dam route. Enroute we had a visit to Bedsa caves which are situated at a distance of 8 kms from Kamshet. These caves are much similar to the karla and bhaja caves but are much smaller in size. After spending an hour at this place we left for Pavana dam. It is a very nice place to visit in monsoon.

Bedsa Caves

Sinhgad

2008-03-25T01:30:00.001-07:00

Place: Sinhgad fort

Route from Pune: Pune > Khadakvasla > Donje > Sinhgad

Distance from Pune: 30 kms (Approx)

Places to eat: Lot of hotels on the fort that offer Maharashtrian food (especially Pitla Bhakri).

Places to stay: Lot of options available in and around Donje village.

Best time to Visit: Anytime.
Experience: Sinhgad has always been one of my favourite excursion spot. I visited the place in the year 2000 for the first time and I have been there at least 30 – 40 times after that. The place is most beautiful in monsoon. The road has never been very great. But Sinhgad has always been a place where you can go at any time of the day, roam around, eat, enjoy and get back rejuvenated (all in 4 - 6 Hours).

Neelkantheshwar

2008-03-25T00:54:00.000-07:00

Place: Neelkantheshwar

Route from Pune: Pune > Khadakvasla > Donje > Panshet > Kuran > Neelkantheshwar

Distance from Pune: 55 kms (Approx)

Places to eat: A small hotel at the top (looked unhygienic). Lot of options available till panshet.

Places to stay: Lot of devotees from nearby villages stay in the temple premises. (not recommended)

Best time to Visit: Anytime except April/May.
Experience: I was planning to visit this place since last one month. Finally, we decided to go on 22 march since we were getting three days long weekend. We were not able to start early as planned. Left the house at 9:30 am, took the road via warje/Khadakvasla/Donje phata and reached Panshet.

There are no roadsigns that will direct you correctly to Neelkantheshwar. After loosing the way two times and taking help from local villagers we finally got on to the correct path. Here is how we reach the neelkantheshwar foothill -- Once you reach panshet , Take the route going to varasgaon dam (there is a board mentioning neelkantheshwar). After about 1 km there is a fork like section with board that points to a village called Kuran. Take that road. After about 1 km of bumpy ride there comes one more point where you have to choose between roads with absolutely no signs around. Take the road to the right. After few kilometers you will come to a point where the tar road ends and two muddy roads are seen going upwards in the hills. Take the left one and after 2-3 kms reach neelkantheshwar foothills. After a steep walk of 2 kms you come to the temple.

At this point you will wonder if the temple will be worth all the trouble. The answer is ‘yes’. As you get near to the temple the road becomes wide, flat, with lot of trees and flowers around. You begin to see lot of statues of Sadhus sitting on the walls of the temple. As soon as you start climbing the stares a huge hanuman statue is seen lying to your left.

The place is really beautiful. It is the result of hardwork done by one man – Sarjemama - a forest ranger, social worker and a Lord shiva devotee. There are hundreds of mythological characters sculpted by him in the temple area. Lot of mythological events are also sculpted. We get a splendid view of Panshet and varasgaon Dams & the surrounding areas from the temple.

After spending few hours we decided to move back. It was getting cloudy and by the time we started back, it was raining. The climate changed completely. It was amazing. We had some snacks at khadkvasla before returning home.

Chateau Indage Vineyard

2008-02-24T20:20:00.000-08:00

Place: Chateau Indage Vineyard
Route from Pune: Pune > Chakan > Rajgurunagar > Narayangaon > Chateau Indage
Distance from Pune: 85 kms (Approx).
Places to eat: Chateau Indage restaurant
Places to stay: Chateau Indage resort ( will be functional soon)

Best time to Visit: Anytime.
Experience: After a long search finally I found the contact number to book a tour to this vineyard. The winery was started by Mr. Shyamrao Chowgule in 1979 and has already established itself with exports to more than 65 countries.

The Vineyard is located on the Pune- Nashik belt, famous for the grape production. More than 25 varieties of grapes are grown here for wine production. The Chateau Indage restaurant provides excellent food and wine besides a wonderful ambience. A Resort and spa will soon open up for those who like to wine, dine and relax themselves in bath tubs filled with champagne.

Mr Ganesh from Chateau Indage took us around to show some interesting wine making procedures.

02132-245977 is the contact number for those who are interested in booking a vineyard tour.

Cheers.

Ganpatipule

2008-02-11T02:14:00.001-08:00

Place: Ganpatipule
Route from Pune: Pune > Shirwal > Satara > Karad > Ratnagiri > Ganpatipule
Distance from Pune: 350 kms (Approx).
Places to eat: Hotel Durvankur, MTDC resort, Bhau joshi Khanawal
Places to stay: MTDC resort, Hotel Durvankur, local accomodation.

Best time to Visit: Anytime.

Experience: It was after a long time that we were going to get a break for five days. We decided to spend 3 days at Ganpatipule. We started from Pune at 9 pm and reached Ganpatipule at 6 am in the morning. MTDC beach resort is located just beside the beach with cottages and huts that offer a wonderful view of the sea.

MTDC resort

Ganpatipule is famous for the ganesh temple. One can also visit Ratnagiri city and Jaigad fort nearby. Sightseeing buses are available. The place doesnot offer variety of food but whatever is available tastes really good.

Ganpati Temple

The sea is said to be dangerous here so people are warned against going deep into the water. Clean beach, clear water and lot of coconut trees. Excellent place to relax and rejuvinate.
Another good place to visit at Ganpatipule is the Prachin Konkan. It is a replica of a traditional konkani village. With lot of interesting information on Konkani life, Trees , Wildlife, Forts etc.

Prachin Konkan

Purandar

2008-02-11T01:32:00.000-08:00

Place: Purandar fort
Route from Pune: Pune > Katraj > Khed-shivapur > Kapurhol > Ketkavle > Purandar
Distance from Pune: 50 kms (Approx)
Places to eat: One Hotel on the Fort(not much variety available). Lot of hotels on the highway.
Places to stay: Nil.
Best time to Visit: Sept- Feb.

Experience: The plan was very unexpected. We started a little late and it took us more than three hours to reach the fort because of the traffic at Ketkavle and the road condition from the foothill which is terrible. Your vehicle will surely demand servicing after a visit to Purandar.

Though the fort has a significant place in history, it is not very famous among tourists. It is spread across a big area and takes a whole day to explore. It has a lot of shelters built for army personnel which stand deserted now. It must have been buzzing with activity in the past.

We spent some time chatting and eating at the only hotel on the fort. Bhakri-Pitla, Pohe and Tea is all that you can get besides packets of Parle-G. View is very nice from any part of the fort.

We started back without exploring the fort. I wanted some time in hand keeping in mind the high probability of my bike tyre getting punctured. We touched the highway safely and had a grand dinner at Hotel New Vilas near Khed-shivapur.

Harihareshwar and Diveagar

2008-01-16T02:32:00.000-08:00

Place: Harihareshwar and Diveagar

Route from Pune: Pune > Paud > Mulshi > Mangaon > Mhasla > Harihareshwar > srivardhan > Diveagar. Alternate route (pune to Diveagar):Pune > Paud > Mulshi > Mangaon > Mhasla > Borli > Diveagar (175 kms).

Distance from Pune: Harihareshwar 180 kms (Approx). Harihareshwar to Diveagar 65 kms(Approx).

Places to eat: Harihareshwar: Rohan beach resort. Lot of local people serve excellent food.

Diveagar: Not many options available. Patil khanawal is good.
Places to stay: Harihareshwar: Rohan beach resort. MTDC resort, local accomodation

Diveagar: Exotica beach resort, Ganaraj resort, local accomodation (Homestays)

Best time to Visit: Anytime.

Experience:Finally...we were going to the Konkan coast and that too on a a two wheeler. We started early morning on saturday for Harihareshwar. The road is real bad after Mhasla but some repair work was going on so one can hope that it would get better in few months time. We reached Harihareshwar after a six hour journey from Pune at 12 o'clock noon. More than the beach, Harihareshwar is famous for its temples and rituals. It is also called Dakshin kashi. The place is not a very famous tourist spot but a good place to have a relaxing day or two. Lot of options for a comfortable stay are available. The best part is the food. The locals here serve excellent food at reasonable rates. Early morning walk on the beach is what i would recommend to everyone. It is just magical.

After a heavy breakfast we left for Diveagar via Shrivardhan. The road again is in a very bad shape. But the view around was too good. Glimpses of pure white sand beach every now and then made the journey beautiful. Harihareshwar is a typical sleepy Konkani village, though blessed with a very beautiful beach studded with coconut and supari trees. The place shot to limelight when a golden idol of Lord Ganesh was found buried in a house somewhere in the 90's. Lot of tourists (from Pune & Mumbai) come here but they have to depend on homestays for accomodation as well as food since only one or two big hotels/restaurants are available. The food is available on order so if you don't order it on time, it is most likely that you will not get it. Service is nowhere close to that in Harihareshwar. Few resorts like Ganraj resort and Exotica beach resort might provide a better stay and service.

The best part is the beach. Clear water, white sand, absolutely clean, safe and very very beautiful.

The return journey via Borli was very comfortable as the roads were in good condition.

Bhuleshwar Temple

2007-10-07T22:27:00.000-07:00

Place: Bhuleshwar Temple

Route from Pune: Pune > Hadapsar > Lonikalbhor > Uralikanchan > Bhuleshwar
Distance from Pune: 55 kms (Approx)
Places to eat: Hotel kanchan 7 kms before the temple. No place to eat or Drink near temple.

Places to stay: Nil
Best time to Visit: Anytime.
Experience: Bhuleshwar temple is located around 55 kms from pune on the solapur highway. A right turn just 3 kms before Yavat takes us to Bhuleshwar. The temple is situated at a distance of 7 kms from the highway.The condition of the road is very bad for the first few kilometeres and just for a moment you might think of turning back. But the sufferings are forgotten as soon as you see the temple while you drive up on a winding path on the hill. Another right turn after about six kms will take you to the temple steps. No food or drinking water is available in the temple vicinity.

The temple is said to be built somewhere in the 13th century. The place is really beautiful. It offers a breathtaking view of fields on all four sides of the hill. It feels very cool and calm as we enter the temple. Two staircase take us to the upper floor of the temple. The sculptures on the pillars and walls of the temple are very beautifully carved. Like all typical shiva temples, a huge nandi is situated in front of Lord Bhuleshwar. The sound of 'Om' coming out of the speakers makes the environment even more peaceful.

On the way back, 1/2 Km after you touch the highway, there is a restaurant called Kanchan that has a very good ambience and serves excellent food (Punjabi, Maharashtrian). There are lot of other dhaba's too.

one can visit the Theur temple (one of the ashtavinayaks) as well on the way back, which is about 22kms from Pune.

Cypher

Mahabaleshwar in Monsoon

2007-09-20T22:07:00.000-07:00

Place: Mahabaleshwar

Route from Pune: Pune > Katraj > Shirwal > Wai > Panchgani > Mahabaleshwar

Distance from Pune: 120 kms (Approx)

Places to eat: Hundreds of options available. Try Strawberry icecreams and shakes at Mapro Garden.
Places to stay: MTDC resort. Lot of options available

Best time to Visit: Anytime except Monsoon. Sight seeing is difficult in Monsoon

Experience: The forts around pune are the among best places to visit during monsoon
Monsoon is off season in Mahabaleshwar. Shops open late and close early. Most of the specialities like choco-walnut fudge, strawberries and carrots are missing from the scene. It rains very heavily most of the time.
But there are some positive features as well. Hotels and resorts are easily available at extremely cheaper rates. The atmosphere is wonderful if you just want to spend some time relaxing. People who like a very peaceful environment would love the walks to nearby points. Most sight seeing points in mahabaleshwar (including boating at venna lake) are closed but one can still enjoy a trip to pratapgarh. Food at pratapgarh is tasty as ever though variety might be less. The waterfalls on the way to Pratapgarh are amazing. Every waterfall will have some shops nearby that sell roasted sweetcorn and hot beverages.

A very good place to relax.

Cypher

Flowers on the way

2007-09-02T23:14:00.000-07:00

Mulshi & Tamhini

2007-08-19T23:09:00.000-07:00

Place: Tamhini Ghat

Route from Pune: Pune > Chandni chowk > Pirangut > Paud > Mulshi > Tamhini

Distance from Pune: Mulshi - 45 kms (Approx), Tamhini - 60 kms

Places to eat: Hotel hill view and Quick byte at Mulshi. Lot of other options available near Mulshi.

Places to stay: Lot of resorts on the way

Best time to Visit: Anytime . Most beautiful in Monsoon.

Experience: Always pleasent

Paradise can't be better.............................

Cheers,
Cypher

Rajgad

2007-07-09T23:46:00.000-07:00

Place: Rajgad fort
Route from Pune: Pune > Katraj > Velu > Nasrapur > Baneshwar > Rajgad
Distance from Pune: 35 kms (Approx)
Places to eat: Hotel at the foothill

Places to stay: Temple on the fort
Best time to Visit: Anytime except summer. Dangerous in Monsoon (Beautiful though)
Experience: The forts around pune are the among best places to visit during monsoon. Sushil and I planned this trek at the very last minute on Saturday. We decided to meet at 7:00 am on Sunday at chandani chowk and plan was to go either to Torna or Rajgad.

Sushil had called two of his colleagues, Swapnil and purva too. Me and vaishali were to meet them for the first time. Nice & jolly people to be with. Rajgad was finalized. All of us started from chandni chowk at around 7:45 am.
Took the pune satara highway (Katraj Bypass) and then right turn towards Baneshwar (near cheladi). The climate was fantastic. After travelling 24 kms from Baneshwar we reached Rajgad.

A small hotel at the foothill is the only source for food. We had some snacks that thankfully purva had with her along with tea. It was 11:00 am already. We had also packed some bhel enroute. We booked meal for us thinking that we would return by 4:00 pm.

None of us had been here before so had to ask for direction initially. Met Nandini and Rahul on the way. Rest was the trip to paradise. Clouds, Greenery, Rain. It was a great experience.

The fort enjoys an important place in history and you can guess that when you see it. We went half way to the Bale killa , when it was decided to turn back or we might not get back on the highway before it gets dark (we were on two wheelers and swapnil’s bike had some problem). We came back to the foothills by 6:00 pm.We were very hungary and the food was very delicious. Finished the meals in 10 min flat and started back.

Sushil and I are planning more treks for coming sundays.

Karla and Bhaja

2007-06-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

Place: Karla and Bhaja caves

Route from Pune: Pune > Pimpri & chinchwad > Dehu Road > Karla & Bhaja > Lonavla

Distance from Pune: 40 kms (Approx)

Places to eat: MTDC resort

Places to stay: MTDC resort

Best time to Visit: Anytime except summer. Water park at MTDC can be enjoyed in summer.

Experience: Karla and Bhaja are situated at 10 Kms from lonavla on opposite sides of the old mumbai pune highway. These caves are 2300 years old. Some of the wooden architecture is still intact. Karla caves are a little bigger in size than the Bhaja caves but both places are equally nice to visit. The Ekvira Devi temple near Karla is very well known among devotees. MTDC resort at Karla is a nice and not so expensive place to stay.

Bhaja Caves

Karla caves

Around Pune

2007-06-11T03:46:00.000-07:00

One of the advantages of living in a socially and geographically diverse country (like India) is that you have lot of options when it comes to travelling and enjoying various cultures and cuisines.
For example, Pune (Maharashtra) has lot of places around it which can be visited and enjoyed without spending much time and money. You have a wide range of choice right from caves, forts, waterfalls, dams, parks, temples, resorts, hill stations etc all within 2-3 hours driving range. if you are willing to stretch some more (4 hours), you have option of beautiful beaches as well.
You can enjoy every Indian and International cuisine in and around pune. Monsoon is the best time to visit some of these places.

Here is a site that gives a lot of info about nearby places.
http://www.aroundpune.com/

There are few places which are still not very famous as tourist places but are very beautiful. These places can be visited with the help of groups that are engaged in Trekking and nature trails.

Here is a webpage of one of such groups.
http://www.giridarshan.com/utreks.html

cheers,
Cypher

The first walk in the rain 2007

2007-06-08T22:03:00.000-07:00

Its early June. Most Southern and central parts of India have witnessed the first few rains of year 2007.
Yesterday evening, I came from office had a cup of Tea and then went for a walk in the rains (No Umbrella, No Raincoat). It was magical. The fragrance in the air, the coolness in the breeze, the ligthening and thunder once in a while, the sprinkling rain and the smell of onion pakoras from the nearby tea stall. Enchanting. I roamed for almost one hour.

While returning i planned few one day excursions to nearby places. Next few sundays would be very exciting.

The Journey begins

2007-06-08T21:04:00.000-07:00

Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.
~Roger Miller

I believe that we are gifted with only one life and every moment
should be enjoyed to the fullest.

Cheers